Once a Pear

Once A Pear... is the enthralling cricketing story of Daryl Mitchell - the ultimate 'one-club man'. Daryl graduated from the village game to become the first Worcestershire captain born in the county since 1925. He turned down offers from other, more famous counties to play for the club for 17 years in a turbulent career that saw five promotions, five relegations and short-form triumphs in the Pro40 competition and the Twenty20 Blast. A club legend, 38 first-class county hundreds put him sixth in the all-time list of Worcestershire centurions, while his 295 catches place him eighth in the fielding records. Four years as chairman of the Professional Cricketers' Association speaks volumes for the esteem he is held in by fellow professionals. In Once A Pear... Daryl reveals what it takes to be a successful county cricketer, and the impact on a player's mental health, while exploring how the game has changed in the last 20 years. This is the story of a true cricket man.

Daryl Mitchell has collaborated with broadcaster Frank Watson to write his cricket story. Frank, himself an accomplished cricketer and coach, has followed Worcestershire's fortunes since the 1980s and previously wrote Double Triumph, a comprehensive diary of the county's double-winning season of 1988. He has written for The Cricketer, Wisden Cricket Monthly and Cricket World magazines.